The Ultimate Do Japanese Monkeys Season Their Food Quiz

Do Japanese monkeys season their food? This is not just a question of monkey etiquette. Take this quiz to learn more about why Japanese monkeys eat the way they do.

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Question 1 of 20

When did man begin using condiments?

100 B.C.

1000 B.C.

10000 B.C.

Way back in 10,000 B.C. early man used salt to flavor his meals.

Question 2 of 20

When was salt used as a form of currency?

pre-historical period

in Roman times

Roman soldiers were paid part of their salary in salt, which was a valuable commodity at the time. The word salary comes from the Latin word "salarium" meaning the quota of salt paid to Roman soldiers.

middle Ages

Question 3 of 20

What challenged the belief that only humans season their food?

Researchers found traces of salt together with food remnants in cave inhabited by monkeys.

Experimental monkeys showed preferences for particular flavorings.

Monkeys were observed repeatedly dipping food into saltwater.

An experiment in the 1950s found that a certain type of monkey dipped its food in salt water.

Question 4 of 20

What are macaques?

species of Japanese monkeys

They are a species of Japanese monkeys that were subjects of an experiment in which they displayed a preference for salted food.

trees preferred by monkeys

Roman salt containers

Question 5 of 20

What makes the macaques unique?

smallest monkeys

northernmost-dwelling primates

They are the northernmost-dwelling primates. They live in the freezing subarctic region.

live exclusively in trees

Question 6 of 20

What are groups of macaques called?

units

herds

troops

They are called troops.

Question 7 of 20

Where do the female macaques prefer to hang out?

in the trees

The females prefer the high life in the trees.

on the ground

near water

Question 8 of 20

Why are the macaques considered omnivores?

eat fruit and green plants

eat plants and insects

Although they usually eat plants, they also eat insects.

live mainly on insects and small rodents

Question 9 of 20

How are the macaques prepared for the subarctic climate?

Their skins are thick.

They have thick brown or gray fur.

They grow thick brown or gray fur.

They develop layers of fat to insulate them from the cold.

Question 10 of 20

How would you explain behavioral learning through social interaction?

You mimic the behavior of others in a group to fit in better.

By observing your friends, you determine how to act in order to lead the group.

You learn something new in a social setting and adapt it for yourself.

An everyday example could be while eating at a pizzeria with friends. One person orders pepperoni, something you have never tried. Because of his obvious enjoyment, you try it, enjoy it and order it next time for yourself.

Question 11 of 20

Where was this phenomenon first observed in nature?

Monkeys began washing their food after one of them began the practice.

In Japan in 1953, a macaque monkey dipped its food in a stream instead of just brushing off the dirt. After five years, six of the nine members of the troop washed their food.

Monkeys saw researchers peeling bananas and began to do so themselves.

What was an additional aspect of their behavior that surprised the researchers?

The monkeys were adding herbage to their food.

The monkeys refused to eat food they could not wash.

The monkeys were repeatedly dipping food in saltwater.

The monkeys were not only washing the food before eating, but were repeatedly dipping the food into saltwater, leading the researchers to believe the monkeys enjoyed the salty flavor of the food.

Question 14 of 20

Why was it that not all the monkeys in the troop washed their food?

Females adopted the food habit more than older males.

Females of the troop adopted the habit more than older males. Bear in mind that monkeys leave the troop when they are old enough to mate, so current male members of the troop had less social integration with the original female troopers.

Some monkeys preferred the gritty taste of unwashed food.

They could not be bothered, the old way of brushing off the dirt was enough.

Question 15 of 20

How does age affect whether monkeys would wash their food?

Older female monkeys are usually ready to try something their daughter is doing.

Young monkeys are more likely to try something new.

Younger monkeys are far more ready to try something new.

Older male monkeys seeking to appear younger often try something new.

Question 16 of 20

How far has the food washing spread?

It spread throughout Japan and the surrounding countries.

Although it spread throughout all the islands of the country, it remained a Japanese phenomenon.

It is confined to the island where the experiment took place.

It is confined to the macaque troop on the particular Japanese island where the experiment took place.

Question 17 of 20

What purpose does brain plasticity serve?

The plasticity of the brain helps prevent serious damage when the head receives a blow.

The brain's plasticity enables multi-tasking.

The brain's ability to create new neural connections enables you to acquire new skills.

The brain's ability to create new neural connections, needed for learning, enables you to acquire new skills.

Question 18 of 20

What happened when researchers tested whether the monkeys would try caramel candy?

The older monkeys washed the candy before eating

The young monkeys tried the candy.

The younger monkeys were the first to try, with the adults following later.

They tried the candy but did not like it since it was sweet and they were used to salty food.

Question 19 of 20

What is the Hundredth Monkey Phenomenon?

No more than 100 monkeys on the island washed their food, while others declined.

After 100 monkeys were washing their food, younger monkeys needed to try something new so they dipped food In saltwater.

100 monkeys needed to wash their food before the practice was widely adopted.

According to this theory, 99 monkeys washed their food and only when the 100th monkey did so, was a critical mass reached and the neighboring monkeys also began to wash food.